| Fiji at the 2016 Summer Paralympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IPC code | FIJ |
| NPC | Fiji Paralympic Association |
| in Rio de Janeiro | |
| Competitors | 2 in 2 sports |
| Medals |
|
| Summer Paralympics appearances | |
Fiji competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
Some private funding supported Fijian participation at the Paralympic Games. $4,000 was donated to the team by the International School Suva. [1] These funds were raised as part of a Fun Day event run by the school. [2] Fiji Athletics received $5,000 in sponsorship in July 2016. This money was shared between Olympic and Paralympic athletics. [3]
The national team coach is Fred Fatiaki. [1]
Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputation, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment, including blindness; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. [4] [5] Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities, other sports, for example swimming, group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on the severity of the disability. [6]
Athletes from Fiji tried to qualify for the Rio Paralympics. One such athlete was Varayame Naikolevu. He competed at the Melanesian Athletics Championship, and an IPC Athletics event in Brisbane, Queensland in the shot put but was unable to set a qualifying mark for the Rio Games. [7] Epeli Baleibau will represent Fiji in athletics at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in High Jump. [8] [9]
| Athlete | Event | Height | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epeli Baleibau | High Jump T45-47 | 1.70 | 11 |
A Fijian had been invited to participate in table tennis at the Rio Games. Mere Rodan qualified for Rio after defeating Australia's number 1 ranked player. She did not use a sport specific chair in competition because she could not afford one. Table Tennis Fiji was actively trying to raise funds to acquire a specialized chair for her to use in Rio and to allow other table tennis players with disabilities to use back at home. Most of the chairs the organization has are donated day chairs. [10] Roden was Fiji's flag bearer at the opening ceremonies. [11]
| Athlete | Event | Group Matches | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final / BM | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank | ||
| Merewalesi Roden | Singles class 5 |  Jung (KOR)L 0–3 |  Lundbäck (SWE)L 0–3 | 3 | Did not advance | |||
Austria is competing with 26 athletes at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
Belgium competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016.
Chinese Taipei competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016.
Morocco competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016.
Denmark competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. They had athletes participating in athletics, cycling, equestrian, shooting, swimming and table tennis. They won a total of seven medals; one gold, two silver and four bronze.
Namibia competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
Nigeria competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. Nigeria's delegation of 23 sportspeople was mostly composed of powerlifters, with the country sending 14 lifters to Rio. Ahead of the Rio Games, the National Sports Commission promised Paralympic medals to erase the country's Olympic shame.
Sri Lanka competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. The Sri Lankan team consisted of nine athletes in three sports.
Samoa competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from September 7 to 18, 2016, sending two discus athletes, one male and one female. This was Samoa's fifth consecutive Paralympics, with their first Paralympics in 2000. Alefosio ‘Sio’ Laki finished 12th, setting a new personal record. Maggie Aiono finished the Paralympics in 11th place. As of the conclusion of these Paralympics, Samoa has not won a Paralympic medal.
Tonga competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
Sierra Leone sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the nation's third time competing at the Summer Paralympic Games after it made its debut twenty years prior at the 1996 Summer Paralympics. The delegation consisted of a single athlete, table tennis player George Wyndham, who lost both of his preliminary round matches to Zhang Yan of China and Thailand's Wanchai Chaiwut in the men's singles class 4 tournament and advanced no further in the competition.
Ivory Coast competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
The Gambia sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the nation's second appearance at a Paralympics, following their first participation in the 2012 London Paralympics. The Gambia sent one athlete, Demba Jarju, who failed to advance from his heat in the men's 100 meters T54 event.
Papua New Guinea competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the Virgin Islands' second time competing at a Summer Paralympic Games. They were represented by one athlete, Ivan Espinosa, who contested one event, the men's 1500 meters T37. In that event, he came in 8th place.
Chile competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
Afghanistan sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the nation's fifth time taking part in a Summer Paralympic Games. The Afghan delegation consisted of a single athlete, Mohammad Durani, who competed in the javelin throw. Originally he finished 16th in his event, but he was retroactively disqualified for a doping violation.
Malta competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its ninth appearance at the quadrennial event with the exception of the years between 1988 and 2004. The delegation consisted of one short distance swimmer, Vladyslava Kravchenko, who was announced as the country's representative in April 2016. She was chosen as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Kravchenko competed in three swimming events but failed to advance into the final of each event as her times in her respective competitions were not fast enough to qualify for the later stages of each contest.
The Faroe Islands sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. They sent one participant, Krista Mørkøre, who participated in three events in swimming. Her top finish was 10th in women's 400 m freestyle S10, and she did not qualify for the finals of any of her three events.
Niger competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
